The .357 Magnum For Home Defense

Now, I know a tactical shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot will do wonders
to stop a home invasion, but this is about a handgun for the use. For
a handgun, if I only had one for this purpose, it would be a .357
magnum revolver.

I get a lot of questions about handguns for home
defense. If somebody is not asking about a specific gun, but asking
for general advice on what to get, this is what I suggest.

While the
shotgun has it's place, handguns are more concealable and can be placed
in strategic locations throughout a house that long guns just can't fit
in.

I have quite a few
handguns, and since I review them, even the great ones eventually get
sold. But some are kept longer than others and I always have one of
several kinds of guns.

One is the .357 magnum.

The one I currently keep
in a strategically selected location in my house is the good looking
Taurus 627 .357 magnum, seven shot revolver.

Mine has a 6" ported,
vented barrel, and "Ribber' grips that fit anybody's hands in our house.
The .357 is one of the most versatile guns ever, shooting .38 special,
.38 special +p, or .357 magnum loads.

That means it can be loaded for
any shooter to handle. And the modern seven shot revolver gives plenty
of firepower to use in an emergency.

Our Taurus revolver is
loaded with seven rounds of Winchester .38 special +p semi-jacketed
hollow points. My wife and daughter need to be able to access, aim and
shoot and control it if they have to ever
use it in an emergency situation.

Both of them practice with my guns and
are familiar with the revolver. Most all full size revolvers have
adjustable sights enabling you to fine tune the aiming capability of the
gun. With the long barrel makes it easy to point and shoot
confidently.

While the loaded full
size .357 magnum is a bit heavy, it is easy enough for my 16 year old
daughter to grip,
aim, and fire seven times without much fatigue.

You
may not like the idea of a teenage girl having access to a .357 magnum
revolver, and I don't recommend anybody just indiscriminately allowing
it. But she has proven herself on the range and in other places with
excellent safe gun handling skills.

She has no interest in "playing"
with guns and has gained our trust to the point that we feel that it is
advantageous to allow her access to the gun. In case of an emergency,
the more people in the house that can safely and effectively access
firearms, the better.

In the middle of the
night, the feel of the big handgun is reassuring. We know that if
anybody breaking in to do harm to our family makes it in, they'll not
likely make it back out.

Will other guns work well for home defense?
Sure. But for multiple members of the family to access, this gun
requires a minimum of training to learn to use. And the simplicity,
dependability, and fire power, make the .357 magnum revolver for home
defense, the best overall choice.